Adjusting method and system for dispensing chemical products

Abstract

An adjusting method to adjust dispensing of at least one chemical product in a circulation hydraulic circuit having one or more branches (230, 240, 250), wherein at least one dispensing device (D1, D2, D3) is configured to dispense, when activated, at least one respective chemical product in the circulation hydraulic circuit. The method includes detecting liquid flow rates in respective branches of the circuit through respective flow rate sensor devices (F1, F2, F3). If a regular condition occurs, then an activation of the at least one dispensing device is enabled. If an error condition occurs, then an activation of the at least one dispensing device is inhibited for a restoration time (T), wherein at least one detected liquid flow rate causing the error condition is restored to a value not lower than a respective flow rate threshold value plus an additional inhibition time associated to at least one flow rate sensor device.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An adjusting method to adjust dispensing of at least one chemical product in a circulation hydraulic circuit having one or more branches, wherein at least one dispensing device is configured to dispense, when activated, at least one respective chemical product in the circulation hydraulic circuit, comprising the step of:
 detecting one or more liquid flow rates in one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit through one or more respective flow rate sensor devices, wherein: 
 if a regular condition occurs wherein said one or more liquid flow rates detected in said one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit are not lower than respective flow rate threshold values, an activation of said at least one dispensing device is enabled, and 
 if an error condition occurs that is caused by at least one of said one or more liquid flow rates detected in at least one respective branch of said one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit that is lower than a respective flow rate threshold value, an activation of said at least one dispensing device is inhibited for a time duration equal to a restoration time wherein said at least one detected liquid flow rate causing said error condition is restored to a value not lower than said respective flow rate threshold value plus an additional inhibition time associated to at least one of said one or more flow rate sensor devices, wherein said additional inhibition time is a startup time for said one or more flow rate sensor devices, equal to the time necessary to restore steady state conditions for said one or more flow rate sensor devices, or equal to the time necessary for said one or more flow rate sensor devices to pass from a startup configuration to an operating configuration. 
 
     
     
       2. The adjusting method according to  claim 1 , wherein said additional inhibition time is associated to at least one flow rate sensor device that has detected said error condition. 
     
     
       3. The adjusting method according to  claim 1 , wherein the circulation hydraulic circuit has two or more branches in which two or more flow rate sensor devices detect two or more respective liquid flow rates, a respective startup time being associated to each one of said two or more flow rate sensor devices, and wherein said additional inhibition time is equal to the longest of said startup times associated to said two or more flow rate sensor devices. 
     
     
       4. The adjusting method according to  claim 1 , wherein the circulation hydraulic circuit has two or more branches in which two or more flow rate sensor devices detect two or more respective liquid flow rates, a respective startup time being associated to each one of said two or more flow rate sensor devices, and wherein said additional inhibition time is equal to the shortest of said startup times associated to said two or more flow rate sensor devices. 
     
     
       5. The adjusting method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one flow rate sensor device is a flow based switch or a flow meter. 
     
     
       6. An adjusting system configured to adjust dispensing of at least one chemical product in a circulation hydraulic circuit having one or more branches, comprising:
 at least one dispensing device configured to dispense, when activated, at least one respective chemical product in the circulation hydraulic circuit; 
 one or more flow rate sensor devices configured to detect a flow rate value in said one or more branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit; and 
 a processing unit configured to perform an adjusting method to adjust dispensing of said at least one chemical product comprising the step of: 
 detecting one or more liquid flow rates in one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit through said one or more respective flow rate sensor devices, wherein: 
 if a regular condition occurs wherein said one or more liquid flow rates detected in said one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit are not lower than respective flow rate threshold values, an activation of said at least one dispensing device is enabled, and 
 if an error condition occurs that is caused by at least one of said one or more liquid flow rates detected in at least one respective branch of said one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit that is lower than a respective flow rate threshold value, an activation of said at least one dispensing device is inhibited for a time duration equal to a restoration time wherein said at least one detected liquid flow rate causing said error condition is restored to a value not lower than said respective flow rate threshold value plus an additional inhibition time associated to at least one of said one or more flow rate sensor devices, wherein said additional inhibition time is a startup time for said one or more flow rate sensor devices, equal to the time necessary to restore steady state conditions for said one or more flow rate sensor devices, or equal to the time necessary for said one or more flow rate sensor devices to pass from a startup configuration to an operating configuration. 
 
     
     
       7. The adjusting system according to  claim 6 , wherein said additional inhibition time is associated to at least one flow rate sensor device that has detected said error condition. 
     
     
       8. The adjusting system according to  claim 6 , wherein the circulation hydraulic circuit has two or more branches in which two or more flow rate sensor devices detect two or more respective liquid flow rates, a respective startup time being associated to each one of said two or more flow rate sensor devices, and wherein said additional inhibition time is equal to the longest of said startup times associated to said two or more flow rate sensor devices. 
     
     
       9. The adjusting system according to  claim 6 , wherein the circulation hydraulic circuit has two or more branches in which two or more flow rate sensor devices detect two or more respective liquid flow rates, a respective startup time being associated to each one of said two or more flow rate sensor devices, and wherein said additional inhibition time is equal to the shortest of said startup times associated to said two or more flow rate sensor devices. 
     
     
       10. The adjusting system according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one flow rate sensor device is a flow based switch or a flow meter. 
     
     
       11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing unit, causes said processing unit to perform an adjusting method to adjust dispensing of at least one chemical product in a circulation hydraulic circuit having one or more branches, wherein at least one dispensing device is configured to dispense, when activated, at least one respective chemical product in the circulation hydraulic circuit, comprising the step of:
 detecting one or more liquid flow rates in one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit through one or more respective flow rate sensor devices, wherein: 
 if a regular condition occurs wherein said one or more liquid flow rates detected in said one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit are not lower respective flow rate threshold values, an activation of said at least one dispensing device is enabled, and 
 if an error condition occurs that is caused by at least one of said one or more liquid flow rates detected in at least one respective branch of said one or more respective branches of the circulation hydraulic circuit that is lower than a respective flow rate threshold value, an activation of said at least one dispensing device is inhibited for a time duration equal to a restoration time wherein said at least one detected liquid flow rate causing said error condition is restored to a value not lower than said respective flow rate threshold value plus an additional inhibition time associated to at least one of said one or more flow rate sensor devices, wherein said additional inhibition time is a startup time for said one or more flow rate sensor devices, equal to the time necessary to restore steady state conditions for said one or more flow rate sensor devices, or equal to the time necessary for said one or more flow rate sensor devices to pass from a startup configuration to an operating configuration. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 11 , wherein said additional inhibition time is associated to at least one flow rate sensor device that has detected said error condition. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the circulation hydraulic circuit has two or more branches in which two or more flow rate sensor devices detect two or more respective liquid flow rates, a respective startup time being associated to each one of said two or more flow rate sensor devices, and wherein said additional inhibition time is equal to the longest of said startup times associated to said two or more flow rate sensor devices. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the circulation hydraulic circuit has two or more branches in which two or more flow rate sensor devices detect two or more respective liquid flow rates, a respective startup time being associated to each one of said two or more flow rate sensor devices, and wherein said additional inhibition time is equal to the shortest of said startup times associated to said two or more flow rate sensor devices. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one flow rate sensor device is a flow based switch or a flow meter.